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Bulletin Reflection

Minor Players, Crucial Roles

By Alice Camille

The gospels are not biographies of Jesus. That is most clear during Holy Week, when scripture recounts the Passion in all its brutal details. Nearly one-fourth of the synoptic gospels are devoted to the Passion; when it comes to John, make that one-third. Obviously the gospel writers were not as invested in the life of Jesus so much as they were dedicated to portraying and interpreting his death. It is in this final week, we understand, that the identity of Jesus is fully expressed.

Miracles from his active ministry are often dismissed in a paragraph or two. In the Gospel of Mark particularly, teachings are brushed past in a sentence: “And Jesus taught them many things.” You’ll look in vain for his Sermon on the Mount. Mark doesn’t tell us what Jesus had to say because for Mark, Jesus the Teacher is more important for future disciples to grasp than any one lesson plan. Heaps of miracles and years of instruction had meaning for the individuals involved but not for us. All we need to know is Jesus the Healer, Jesus the Teacher—until we reach his final identity, Jesus the Obedient One.

It’s no accident that the Passion narrative sounds almost pre-scripted. Jesus talks his way through it like a man in a dream he’s had before. He describes actions already set in motion: You’ll find a colt tied to a fence; you’ll meet a man carrying water. One of you will betray me. All of you will have your faith shaken. Peter will deny me. See, my betrayer is at hand. Everything that happens fulfills the prophecies of scripture. There’s no point in speaking at his trial, to Caiaphas or Pilate; Jesus already bears the weight of his cross, so words seem wasted.

Although the Holy Week narratives sound premeditated, that’s not the same as saying that free will was revoked for one long dark week of history. People still make choices: the woman with the alabaster jar, the sleepy disciples in the garden, the young man who runs off naked—even Judas, who leaves the greatest supper ever served to sell out his host. Could Caiaphas have had a softening of the heart? Might Pilate have thrown out the case? Did the soldiers have a chance to let their prisoner escape? Was the Crucifixion in some cosmic sense inevitable?

As we consider each critical character in this Passion play, we mustn’t lose sight of Barabbas. It’s become a Holy Week practice to wonder what each of us might have done differently, given the chance. Am I Peter, am I Judas, am I the anonymous one who runs away? At bottom, though, we’re all really Barabbas: the sinner for whom the Just One’s life was traded away.

Announcements

K of C Our Mother of Perpetual Help Council #9538 are celebrating their 25th anniversary on May 1. 2012. A celebration Mass will be held at 6:00pm with a banquet at 7:30pm. Tickets for this event are $15.00 and will be available April 1, 2012 following the Masses. This celebration is open to all parishioners of St. Mary’s.

FLOWERS DURING LENT The season of Lent is Penitential in nature, that is it is a time to reflect on our weaknesses as human beings in order to call upon God’s help. One of the ways that we help ourselves do this is by keeping the church decorations very simple. To help with this we would ask that you refrain from placing fresh cut flowers before the Tabernacle, altar or shrine so that when Easter comes the arrival of flowers in the Church will be an even greater moment of celebration.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS Are you looking for an opportunity to pray during this Lenten Season? Join us each Friday evening as we pray together, mediating on the passion of our Lord in the Stations of the Cross. Fridays at 7:00pm in St. Mary’s Church.

Holy Thursday Food Collection Please bring a non-perishable food item to the Holy Thursday celebration. These will be collected for the pantry at Guadalupe House. This year we invite you to place your items in the baskets placed in the sanctuary as you arrive for the Mass.

ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT Due to Holy Saturday, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be cancelled. The next opportunity for adoration will be on May 5, 2012.

K OF C BREAKFAST The next Knights of Columbus Breakfast will be held on Sunday April 8thfollowing the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Masses. Everyone is welcome!

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY—April 15, 2012 at 3:00pm, a service celebrating the Feast of Divine Mercy by Fr Geoffrey Young at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, corner of 12th Street and Wiggins Avenue, love offering and refreshments to follow. Everyone welcome.

SODALITAS: Are you grieving and suffering from a loss? Join us for SODALITAS; a safe caring group for reflecting and sharing for those who are experiencing grief. Our next meeting is Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 10:00AM in the upper room of St. Mary’s Parish Hall.

COMMISSARIAT OF THE HOLY LAND IN CANADA: We come together this year in 2012 as brothers and sisters with regard to the Christians and the works of the Holy Land. We feel and know that Jerusalem is our home and our family. My home is within you (Psalm 87:7). The Psalmist reminds us of our ties to the Church of Jerusalem, mother of all the churches of the world. The Church in the Holy Land appeals for our solidarity. The Pontifical Good Friday Collection remains a special opportunity to respond accordingly. By our prayer and a concrete gesture of support, our community can ensure a significant contribution for the faithful and to charitable and social works, as well as to the care of the Holy Sites and the training of future priests. By lending our support to the Church and the works of the Holy Land we are looking after ourselves and our own spiritual heritage. We allow Christians who are sorely tested to remain steadfast and be witnesses of reconciliation and peace. We support men and women who care and provide access to the Holy Sites, the living memory of Jesus.

Home Ministry of Care

To be an effective visitor you must be GENUINE. The definition of this quality is being free from hypocrisy or pretense. To be genuine is to be sincere. It is being authentic. Just be your true self.

Youth Ministry

Vocations are every Christian’s concern. They belong to God and all of his people, to you and to me, to all of us. Here are just a few of the vocation moments that are happening around us so that we can better see how God is so active in our lives.

I think first of Think Fast, the wonderful youth event which happened last weekend. For 25 hours our young people let their light shine and allowed God to speak through their generosity. It was a time where our community stood in solidarity with the Global South and listened to the CALL. Over 40 young people participated in this diocesan event at the Cathedral of the Holy Family. Over 30 young people are signed up to be in solidarity with the Global South when Think Fast takes place at ED Feehan High School in a few weeks. God is calling in so many ways.

Think Fast is just one part of Share Lent and the CCODP offerings. Between the 9:00 AM and the 11:00 AM Masses, we have been provided an opportunity to learn a bit more of what CCODP offers. Fairness, justice, and hope are just three simple words that help us to know what the efforts of CCODP bring to the Global South.

We know that CCODP is losing some of the funding that has enabled them to provide programs. God is active in the work of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, we need to be as well by offering our prayer support. Think Fast is just one of the ways we can listen to God’s voice and let His light shine

On April 28th, we are all invited to participate in “Fill These Hearts”, presented by Christopher West. This event promises to be a great way for all of us to hear about how God is so active in our lives. Read the poster at the back of the church for more information.

A “Come and See” event happened in diocese last weekend. This summer two young men will be ordained for our diocese. Let’s keep talking about all that God provides for us and our youth.